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Visiting Honolulu is nice, but it doesn’t mean that you have really been to the true Hawaii. There is so much more to see and do. The same can be said for Michigan. Kalamazoo and the Three Rivers area are also very nice, but to experience the true Michigan, I feel you should venture north of Grand Rapids. As a matter of fact, the farther north you go, the truer Michigan becomes.
I’ve been fortunate to travel all over Michigan, but it’s been quite a few years since I’ve been in the upper peninsula. On October 5, we left for a Lions meeting in St. Ignace. It was a training session on Friday, October 7, followed by a Council of Governors meeting later that day and again on Saturday. We left for St. Ignace on October 5 with plans to spend that night in Cadillac. Once north of Grand Rapids, we noticed that the colors had already started to change. The closer we got to Cadillac the more prevalent the colors became. The night in Cadillac was rainy but warm and we were able to get a good night’s rest.
Traveling north out of Cadillac to St. Ignace took us through the Petoskey area, a true tourist haven. Because of the recent frost, followed by sunny skies, the colors are now at their peak.
I’m not a big fan of bridges, so I was happy to have my wife driving as we crossed the “Mighty Mac” into the upper peninsula. During our three-day stay, we never ventured more than a mile or so out of St, Ignace, but we’re aware that there are still plenty of wide open spaces in the upper peninsula. I’m not sure of what the largest city is in the UP, which gives us a good excuse to return and check it out.
Like many good things, there must be an end, so after all the meetings and fun get- togethers, we eventually started for home. We decided to follow the same plan we used for going to St. Ignace, and that was to spend one night in Cadillac, which is sort of a half-way point. Besides, this gave us more time to savor Northern Michigan. I don’t know why it is, but it seems that the return trip home always seems shorter than the first part of the trip to your destination. After some thought, I came to the conclusion that the return trip was faster, because we were traveling south, which means we were going downhill.
With my wife doing all the driving, I was able to doze off for a good part of the trip home. She’s a very good driver, so I’m able to take a nap without fear of being a statistic on some police report. I was in the middle of a very nice dream when I felt the car sway left then right, then left and right again. I woke up realizing that we were on the “S” curve in Grand Rapids and had arrived back to the “Real World”.
Each state has its good points and bad points. When you compare Michigan to Illinois, it’s interesting to note that, in Michigan, the only place you pay a toll is when you cross the Mackinac Bridge and that toll is only $4.00. The next time you travel to any of the lakes surrounding Three Rivers, notice how many Illinois license plates you see. Sort of makes you think, “Hmmm”.
See you Out and About!
Submitted by Norm Stutesman
